One of the great blessings of the epistles is being able to watch the writers pastor their people. Yes, the epistles are full of theology, but they are written by and large to specific persons or people, with particular pastoral concerns in mind. What we have, then, are not just treatises on the character of the Gospel, but windows into the dealings of pastors with their people. We have much to learn on both counts.
The epistle of James is full of pastoral wisdom, both for ourselves and for those we serve. Of course, these go together. As Paul reminded Timothy, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Tim 4:16). The following will look at what we might call a psychology of temptation, a teaching of extraordinary perception and precision from James to his people, given so that they might stand faithfully in the face of temptation.
How Sin Works
The wages of sin is death. That is apparent, if we have eyes to see. Adultery destroys marriages. Gluttony degrades one’s health—mentally, spiritually, and physically. Covetousness constricts the heart, making one increasingly unable to love. Lying destroys trust, and therefore destroys relationships. This much is plain. It is easy to see sin for what it is when we see its effects down the road, when the marriage is irrecoverable, the heart attack has occurred, or the job has been lost.
What is not so apparent is how we get to this point. When advanced, it is apparent that sin brings forth death. When in its embryonic stages, it is not so apparent. Sin begins imperceptibly, growing until it can be seen for what it is. In other words, great sin doesn’t just happen in a moment, but over time.
James gives us an insightful account of how sin works:
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures (James 1:12-18).
James begins with a tremendous encouragement. Interestingly, the Greek word for trial in 1:12 has the same root as the words for temptation in the rest of the passage. Why the ESV chose to translate the word differently (unlike, for example, the KJV, which translated the root consistently) I don’t know. However, we are on good grounds to read the verse as follows: “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast when faced with temptation, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” The encouragement is threefold. First, the Lord will reward those who stand when tempted. Even as it presents an opportunity for sin, temptation brings opportunities for faithfulness, growth, and reward, as James indicates at the beginning of his letter (1:2-4). Secondly, we are to expect temptation. Being tempted does not mean that we are sinful, weak, or that we have done something wrong. Rather, experiencing temptation is normal. Even Jesus was tempted, yet remained without sin. Finally, James implies that withstanding temptation and loving God are one. In other words, those who love God are those who withstand temptation. From the outset, James hints at the means of dealing with temptation—believing in the goodness of God. We’ll return to this later.
Shifting Blame
James then makes a stark and important claim: God does not tempt. On the surface, this may not seem necessary to say, for who when tempted blames God? Actually, it is more common than you might think. We see it as far back as Eden, when Adam, seeking to justify himself after eating the fruit, told God “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate” (Gen 3:12). By reminding God that God gave him the woman who gave him the fruit, Adam blames both Eve and God. In other words, Adam justifies himself by citing the circumstances of his sin. And, implicitly, the God of his circumstances.
That begins to feel more familiar. Legion are the ways in which we blame others for our sin. “If she hadn’t said that….” “If he were less selfish and more considerate….” “If pornography wasn’t so available….” “If I only had more money….” In other words, rather than looking to ourselves, we are quick to blame the circumstances of our sin for our sin. In so doing, we blame God. Rather than giving thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:17), we blame the author of our circumstances. Or, similarly, we blame who God made us to be. Excuses like “he’s only human,” or “boys will be boys” locate our sin not in our rebellion, but in our humanity, thereby implicitly blaming God. Blaming ensures we will never get to the root of the problem, for in blaming we fail to identify the source. Just like the doctor who misdiagnoses the cause of a disease cannot expect his patient to recover, so for the one who misdiagnoses the root of sin.
Yielding to Desire
What is that source? James is clear: “each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.” Here we get to the root. Temptation draws its strength from desire. This explains why not everyone is faced with the same temptations. The lure of internet pornography is a serious temptation for one man, while for another it is not. Both have the same access, only one is tempted. What is the difference? James would say that the difference is desire. The opportunity to gossip exists for all, yet some gossip and others do not. Why is this? Some want to, others do not.
Importantly, James does not say that desire is sin. Rather, he says that desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin. James here uses the analogy of sex and childbearing to illustrate how this works. First, there is conception, which occurs when a woman gives herself to a man. As in conception, desire must be received, even embraced. Said differently, consent must be given for desire to be conceived.
To return to the example of sexual sin, what happens when a married man sees another woman and is attracted to her? How does he respond to the temptation? Does he look a second time, or does he divert his eyes? Desire is conceived in the second look. What of a married woman who is tempted to harbor disrespectful thoughts of her husband, or romanticized thoughts of another man? Desire is conceived in the lingering.
Herein lie the beginnings of sin. Of course, sin in its early stages is undetectable, and it is certainly hidden, perhaps even from the sinner himself. Over time, however, sin grows—little by little, day by day, thought by thought, act by act—until it is birthed, and then seen for what it is. Yet even at this point, sin hasn’t reached the height of its destructiveness. A student can cheat and get away with it for a season, and in fact can benefit from it as he seeks to get ahead in his class. But as he makes peace with dishonesty, it seeps into other areas of his life—his friendships, his job, his marriage. Having begun with an act of dishonesty, he has become dishonest. And things begin to fall apart. While sin can be indulged for a time when its effects are not fully apparent, there will come a time when his friends don’t trust him, he is charged with embezzling, and his marriage ends. At this point, it becomes plain that sin really does bring forth death. That which we gave quarter to in its beginnings has grown to devour us in the end.
The Scriptures simply tell us to flee. Examples abound: “Flee from sexual immorality” (1 Cor 6:18), “flee from idolatry” (1 Cor 10:14), “flee youthful passions” (2 Tim 2:22). We don’t trifle with temptation, we don’t make allowances, and we don’t take refuge in the fact that others aren’t bothered. Like Joseph, who fled Potiphar’s wife even to the point of leaving his garment, we flee. We either flee temptation, or we receive it. Our refusal to flee means we have already decided.
What We Must Know
As a wise and caring pastor, having shown both the subtle beginnings and the tragic consequences of sin, James turns to the solution. Let me mention two things.
The Character of Deception
First, he warns against deception: “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” This warning also takes us back to Eden. What enticed Eve to eat the fruit but deception, in this case the serpent’s insinuation that every good and perfect gift did not come from God? The serpent’s great lie was that the good life could be found apart from God and his ways. In effect, the serpent attacked God’s character by saying that He was not good, and therefore sought to deny good gifts to Adam and Eve.
This same lie is at the root of sin today. Years ago, upon leaving a church I had served for a summer, the minister (who had become a dear friend and mentor) gave me a hug, looked me in the eyes, and sent me off with words I have never forgotten: “Always remember that Satan wraps his temptations in pretty packages.” I have found that to be true. Satan wants to be seen as the giver of good gifts. Satan’s gifts, of course, are not what they appear, for what is attractively offered brings about death when received. This is true of all manner of sin—sexual sin, gossip, the satisfaction of speaking unkindly, holding onto a grudge, or hoarding money. James, therefore, makes it clear that the God whose goodness we are tempted to doubt is One who gives good and perfect gifts. And He does not change. In the end, James calls us to trust God, and therefore to trust His ways are good. It is no coincidence that James goes on to speak of God’s law as “the law of liberty.” James understands that, despite what Satan might lead us to believe, the law of God is meant for freedom, not bondage.
Being convinced of God’s goodness helps us deal with our wayward desires that make temptation so powerful. Thanks be to God, we are not victims of our own desires. In this “follow your heart” world, we can learn to lead our hearts. For instance, the Proverbs call us to “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Prov 4:23). How do we do this? The Scriptures give much guidance here, but let me mention several of Jesus’ sayings. When Jesus says “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34), he suggests we can lead our hearts through how we spend or invest money. When he says “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45), he implies that we can guide our heart by speaking in a way that is gracious and edifying. When he says “Your eye is the lamp of your body” (Luke 11:34), he suggests that we can shape our desires by what we allow ourselves to behold. A man who gazes upon his wife alone, never allowing himself to gaze upon another woman, will find that his desires for pornography or fantasy begin to fade. A selfish man can become generous by practicing generosity, whether he feels like it or not. Perhaps this is not all we can do, but it is something we must do. In the end, shaping our desires is about the transformation of the heart: “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4), the implication being that, as we delight in the Lord, he transforms our desires into ones that he can fulfill. It is possible to get out in front of temptation by seeking to form, or re-form, our desires. But this will only happen to the extent that we believe God is for us, and that His ways are life and peace.
Loving the Beloved
Secondly, as he warns them against deception, James reminds his people of who they are, and of God’s disposition toward them. He addresses them tenderly—“my beloved brothers.” Exactly who loves them? God? James himself? I suspect the answer (which may be intentionally ambiguous) is both. As a pastor, James is genuine in his love for his people. It is precisely the failure to love their people that disqualified the shepherds in the Old Testament and the Pharisees in the New (Ezek 34; John 10). But James is certainly speaking of God as well, because in the very next sentence he speaks of God as the Father who gives good gifts. For that’s what fathers who love their children do. This is crucial, for James knows, as Paul did, that God’s kindness leads us to repentance. For the people to receive James’ admonition as from God, they must know that James loves them and, even more, that God himself loves them.
This leads to the final point. James reminds us that the crown of life, given to those who resist temptation, is given to those who love God. As mentioned above, James draws a parallel—those who resist temptation are those who love God. Here we get to the root of the issue, our love for God. The Scriptures are clear that a choice must be made, for one cannot love God and sin at the same time: “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15), “you cannot serve God and money” (Luke 16:13), “friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4).
How do we love God? By knowing who He is, and in particular who He is for us. As noted above, James speaks to his people as those whom God loves. James makes this explicit later in his letter when he writes
Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful (James 5:8-11).
In the end, it is a call to establish their hearts by remembering the character of God, who was the strength of the prophets before them. James picks up on this by assuring the people that the Lord is compassionate and merciful, alluding to the most complete description of the Lord’s character to be found anywhere in the Bible: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…” (Exod 34:6; cf. Num 14:18; Psalms 86:15; 103:8; 145:8), the same description used of Jesus, the one “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
It is well known that James does not speak overmuch of the love of God, or speak explicitly of the death and resurrection of Jesus for our sins. Why he does not isn’t exactly clear to me, save that James wrote what he felt he needed to write to his people. After all, a pastor can’t say everything at once, nor is it usually wise or appropriate to try. Nevertheless, we see implied in James what John says explicitly: “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). And we know that because He is the giver of every good and perfect gift, even the gift of His Son.
W Ross Blackburn is the Rector at Christ the King Anglican Fellowship in Boone, NC. He holds a PhD in Biblical Studies from the University of St. Andrews and has over 20 years of ministry experience. He is a member of the St. Anselm Fellowship of the Center for Pastor Theologians.
